Microphone stand



Nov. 28, 1950 F. s. LEWIS MICROPHONE STAND' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 4, 1945 INVENTOR. F250 5. lay/.5 BY 42m? 7W ATmm/Ers,

Patented Nov. 28, 1950 MICROPHONE STAND Fred S. Lewis, South Bend, Ind., assignor to Electro Voice, Incorporated, South Bend, Ind.,

a corporation of Indiana Application May 4, 1945, Serial N 0. 591,966

Claims. I

This invention relates to improvements in microphone stands.

Many types of microphone stands have been made for use with public address systems, for radio broadcasting and for other communications systems. These stands have commonly been adjustable, but the adjusting means have not been satisfactory. A simple, quickly adjustable and easily manipulated adjustment is required to meet the conditions of use. The adjustment is often made by the speaker who usually is not familiar with the construction of the stand, and who, in public address work, must make the adjustment hurriedly in the presence of his audience at a time when he is concentrating upon the performance he is about to give. It is the primary object of the invention to provide a stand which fully meets the above mentioned requirements.

A further object is to provide a microphone stand having telescoping relatively adjustable parts and means having a large hand grip portion and a small range of action or movement between locking and releasing position for locking said parts in selected adjustment.

A further object is to provide a microphone stand having a. standard and a boom and novel means for locking said boom in selected adjustment and characterized by a large hand grip portion, and an effective locking action adapted for simultaneous adjustment of both the angle and the longitudinal adjustment of the boom.

Other objects will be apparent from the description, drawings and appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side view illustrating one adjustment of the microphone stand.

Fig. 2 is a side view illustrating another adjustment of the stand.

Fig. 3 is a side view of a third adjustment of the stand.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view showing the mounting of a microphone upon the stand.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 6 and illustrating one locking means employed in the stand.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on line B5 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view of another locking means employed in the stand, with parts shown in section.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 88 of Fig. 7.

l Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on line ||J| ll of Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 29 designates the base of the stand which supports an upright tubular standard portion 2|. In the form of the stand shown in Fig. l, a second smaller tubular member 22 fits telescopically and snugly within tubular portion 2| and mounts a bracket 23 at its upper end to which a microphone 24 is pivotally connected by a bolt and nut designated at 25 which serve to clamp the microphone in selected angular position upon bracket 23.

The tubular standard portions 2| and 22 are locked in selected longitudinal adjustment by a locking device 26. The construction of the looking device 26 is best illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. A tubular fitting 2'! is fixedly mounted upon the upper end of member 2| by means of an internally screw threaded sleeve portion 28 at its lower end. The fitting 21 has a reduced diameter portion 29 immediately above sleeve portion 28, the bore of portion 29 preferably being of substantially the same size and concentric with the bore of tubular member 2|. The upper part of fitting 21 is enlarged and terminates in an annular flange 30 whose inner periphery 3| is substantially larger than the bore portion 29, whereby it provides an annular socket. Bore 3| is slightly oficenter relative to mounting sleeve 28, preferably about .02".

The tubular member 22 has an outer diameter slightly smaller than tubular member 2| and bore 29 of the fitting so that it fits freely and snugly in said parts 2| and 29. An annular member 32 fits rotatably around the tubular member 22. Member 32 has a large diameter hand grip portion 33 suitably shaped or configured to be gripped firmly in the hand of a user and large enough to provide substantial leverage for the purpose of making it easy to rotate. A reduced diameter portion 34 depends concentrically from hand grip portion 33. Portion 34 fits snugly and rotatably Within bore 3! of fitting 21, and is of a length slightly greater than the length of the flange 30 to space the bottom face of hand grip portion 33 from the end of flange 39. Member 32 has a bore 35 therethrough parallel to but slightly axially off-set with respect to the axis of member 32. Bore 35 is of the same diameter as the bore of the reduced fitting portion 29. The eccentricity of the bore 35 is the same as that of bore 3| of flange 30, i. e. about .02".

Reduced portion 34 of the member 32 has an annular groove 36 in its outer periphery, and a centric socket 3d of fitting 2i and the eccentric.

bore 35 of rotatable member 32, permit selective adjustment of the parts, upon rotation .of=mem-:

S5 is concentric with tubular member 2| and a ber 32, between a released positionfwhereinibore full locking position displaced 180 deg. fromthe released position. The clearance between the tube 22 and the tube 2! and the bores 29 and-'35 isi suflicient for free sliding adjustment of the elevation of tube 22 whenwthe member- 32 :is inits released position. However the clearance between tubes 25 and 221s less than the eccentricity .ofthe bore 35 with respect to tube-2i, so that "rotation of member 32 less than 180. will tightly bind the tube 22 as shown in Fig. 5. In this connection, it will be observed that the tube 2! forms. an elonged abutment for the'lower end of tube '22 (at the right as seen inFig. 5) and the bore-35 provides a solid abutment of substantial length for the diametricallyopposite portion of tube 22 immediately above thejtube 2! (at the'leftas seen in Fig. 5). These opposed close-spacedabutinents provide .a positive lock, and the large size of knob or hand grip 32'permit thelock to:be

effected easily because of the leverage 'it affords; The groove 39 is so positioned that rotation of the grip member 32 is limitedibetween released and full locking. position. Consequentlyyiitthe user desires to release the lock, rotation of member 32 in the direction of .least resistance will:

eifect the release; or, when he wishes to make the adjustment from releasedto locked. position, rcrtation of member 32 is possible in only one direc-. tion to effect the lock or clamp-action. greatly simplifies manipulation for an inexperienced person under the difiicult conditions hereinbefore mentioned, andalso'reducesthe time,.

trouble and uncertaint whicnare commonlyencountered in using conventional adjustment mem-.

bers having a greater throw or movementrandi lacking controlling stops.

In some instances it may be desirable to mount the microphone upon a booinmember. ts as illus:-.

trated in Fig. 2. In such cases. the tube122 and locking unit 2t may be removed from the standard 2i.

tube standard 2 l, and boom 56 is secured .there-. to. Locking unit ti has a cylindricalhollow'cup- The opposite end of frame 42 mounts a cup-.-

shaped cap member ii: provided with areduced: diameter flange it-which fits freely androtatably.

withinthe frame 3-2; Cap, 55 projects from the frame sufficiently to permitna pairof axially alignedapertures G8 to be formed .at diametrical-- ly opposite portions thereof. perpendicular to :the axis thereof. Aperturesxdt are 'of a diameter large enough to/freely ,slidably receive the :boom- If desired, the tube 22 "can be removed. from the locking unit 26 and used as the boom: A locking unit 1! is then mounted upon the- 40. A retainer head 49 is mounted within the cap for sliding movement axially thereof. A transverse bore 50 of the same diameter as apertures 48 is formed in the head 49 at a position adapted to register with apertures 43 in one longitudinal adjustment of said head. A shank 5!, preferably of square or other non-circular crosssection; as illustrated inFigxQ, projects-from the headi and through the framed-'2.- A screw threaded reduced stud 52 is formed on the outer end of shank 5|. A large diameter knob 53 has arr-axial screw threaded bore 54 fitting upon the stud 52. The inner face of the knob 53 is preferably recessedat 55;:and the outer end of frame 'GZ hasa reduced circular portion 55 which fits snugly in-said recess 55 as shown in Fig. 8. The outer-faceofthe flange it is recessed to receive a plate 5? having a central aperture receiving the end of shank 5|. A washer 58 fits around the stud 52 between plate 5'! and the inner recessed face ofrknob 53.-

A disc clutch is housed withinztheirame tz, and;

comprises a plurality .of plates 59 andafifl arranged inzalternate relation and having friction rings. 5 I' in erposed therebetween'. The interior-sot the cylindrical frame d2 at the portion"receiving.v plates 59-and Bil is of non-circular cross-sectional:-

shape'as best illustrated in Figs; 9 and 10-where-.- in it isillustrated as octagonal or may -1be .pro-- vided with longitudinal keys: The end POItiOII Of the bore'of frame 112 which receives: theiflange is circular. The -plates"59 are of a size-and sha-pe diameter sufiicientl large :tO' receive the stud 5 1' with-clearance, as bestseen in Fig- 9.- The plates. are circular and of a-diametersrnall enoughto (provide a clearance between the periphery u thereof and the configuredrinteriorwallsurface of member 42. The platesSEi haveconfigured central openings. 63 :which fit slidably but nonrotatabl uponth'estudtl; as best seen-in Fig. 10. The friction members M are preferably ring. gaskets formed of.- fibrous or otherv material af fording good frictional race engagement with the plates 59 and tflwhichbear thereagainst. Mem bers 6 I may also be interposed between the outer-.

most of the plates .59' 56 and the parts 44 'and. .y- 46 against which they abut.

When knob 53 is loosened the retainer.49-.'is...

moved to a position with it's bore 50 substantially concentric with'apertures 4-8 in cap .45 so that the boom 48 is loose therein for adjustment 'lo'ngi tudinally. Likewise, the clutch. parts 59.60-6I areloosened; so that" theyand the capl45 'may,

be rotatively adjusted. Whenth desired ad j ustments are I completed; retightening T of the knob 53 draws retainer s9 andbap' idinwardly' together: The pull upon the retainer produces an eccentric clamping relation of the openings t3- -5ii uponboom M'to'clamp-the same against longitudinal movement and also serves to com=- press or" operatively engage the-frictionunit 5.9 I" "between-theend 'of' cap part '46and frame flange 4:3 so that theplates. EQ SQ and cap 35 are locked'in desired angular adjustment.

The two locking functions are accomplished sub-"- stantially .simultaneously 'by I one manipulation of'rthe knob .53.: The rotative movement of the knob between clamped and released positions is preferablyyapproximately oneirevolution or .less

to minimize manipulation. Another advantage is theconvenience of the large size andzreadily. accessible location of the knob.

In Fig. 3 the microphone stand is illustrated as incorporating the use of both the vertical telescopic extension 22 adjusted on standard 2| by lock 26 and the boom '30 adjusted on extension 22 by lock 4! and supporting the microphone 24. Additional units may also be added to meet special conditions. The units are standardized for ready use conjointly and hence permit various arrangements and combinations to be assembled quickly and easily.

The construction herein shown and described constitutes the preferred embodiment of. the invention, and it will be understood that other constructions which fall within the scope of the claims are contemplated within the spirit of the invention. While the device has been termed a microphone stand, it may be used to support other objects, such as lighting fixtures, etc., in addition to microphones.

I claim:

1. In a microphone stand, a tubular standard, a cylindrical extension slidable in said standard, a fitting on the end of said standard having an annular socket eccentrically arranged relative to said standard, and a locking member having a part rotatable in said fitting socket and having an eccentric bore receiving said extension said locking member being rotatable between a releasing position with said bore substantially concentric with said standard and a clamping position with said bore eccentric of said standard.

2. In a stand, a tubular standard having an enlarged slightly eccentric socket at its upper end, a member rotatable in said socket and having an equally eccentric bore therethrough of substantially the same diameter as the bore of said standard, and an extension fitting snugly and slidably in said bores when the same are axially aligned, and interengaging means on said member and socket accommodating relative rotation thereon and locking said member against axial movement in said socket.

3. In a stand, a tubular standard having an enlarged slightly eccentric socket at its upper end, a member rotatable in said socket and having an equally eccentric bore therethrough of substantially the same diameter as the bore of said standard, and an extension fitting snugly and slidably in said bores when the same are axially aligned, said member having a peripheral groove, and a projection carried by said socket and extending into said groove.

4. In a stand, an upright standard, a boom, a cup-shaped fitting mounted on said standard, a cap rotatable in and projecting from said fitting, a retainer shiftable axially in said fitting and cap, said cap and retainer having cooperating transverse boom-receiving passages therein, a clutch in said fitting engageable by the inner end of said cap, and. means for shifting said retainer axially, said clutch including a plurality of friction discs alternately keyed to said fitting and retainer.

5. In a stand, an upright standard, a boom, a cup-shaped fitting mounted on said standard, a cap rotatable in and projecting from said fitting, a retainer shiftable axially in said fitting and cap, said cap and retainer having cooperating transverse boom-receiving passages therein, a clutch in said fitting engageable by the inner end of said cap, and means for shifting said retainer axially, said retainer-shifting means including a large diameter knob.

FRED S. LEWIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,449,658 Deach Mar. 27, 1923 1,511,630 Ozlek Oct. 14, 1924 1,970,624 Becker 1- Aug. 21, 1934 2,090,550 Pilblad Aug. 17, 1937 2,271,194 Ingwer et al. Jan. 27, 1942 2,299,683 Curtis Oct. 20, 1942 2,303,978 Biberman Dec. 1, 1942 2,366,950 Wright Jan. 9, 1945 2,379,379 Schroder June 26, 1945 2,397,749 Mendelson Apr. 2, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 15,948 Great Britain of 1889 

